The '90s were a time when your band name could refer to your group as dummies, and that was marketable. We didn't quite get into the "sell yourself" vibe until later. We were aware of it, but we foolishly considered it a fossil of the dead '80s.

What a bunch of dummies, writing songs like "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," with the pithy, controlled imagery of scenes everyone remembers. The evocative meditations with well-chosen words, subjects, viewpoints, and pleading humanity - idiocy.

What a bunch of glorified punching bags, illuminating this song of ideas with a unique music so, so equally sophisticated. Can you think of any other songs with similar instrument parts and chord changes, let alone the kind of craft that went into shaping the vocal lines?

Dummies...

Then they had the audacity to make their songs required listening because their singer was a freakshow baritone. Everyone was enthralled when this band emerged, purely because this was the deepest singing voice anyone had ever heard. In a different song, it sang about a selfless Superman. Here, it sang about the challenges of invisible personal differences. Little sermons, in a freak-deep voice that everyone felt compelled by pure novelty to hear out.

Dumbest of dummies...

The '90s were a time with no marriage equality, and backward in many other ways. People were very closeted in shame of their personal differences, in ways people who didn't experience it can't fathom. Say what you want about now; we have made mind-boggling advances in casting off intolerant shame. But the '90s did their part in bringing those advances about.

It took many, many smart people calling themselves dummies for trying.